Safeguarding urban wildlife habitat in Illinois
Three accredited land trusts recently collaborated to protect the largest conservation acquisition in the Chicago metropolitan region in 28 years.
A version of this story originally appeared in the Summer 2024 issue of Saving Land magazine.
Three accredited land trusts — The Conservation Fund, Openlands and Illinois Audubon Society — recently collaborated to protect 985-acre Tamarack Farms in the largest conservation acquisition in the Chicago metropolitan region in 28 years. The property, threatened by development, has been a conservation priority for decades; it includes majestic oak woodlands, dynamic wetlands and opportunities for prairie restoration.
The Conservation Fund and Openlands will hold the property in trust until it can be conveyed to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to be added to Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge, advancing the refuge toward its goal of 11,200 protected acres. Ultimately, the Fish and Wildlife Service will open the property to the public, providing recreational activities for millions of people in the Chicago, Rockford and Milwaukee areas.
Illinois Audubon Society executive director Jo Fessett emphasized the project’s importance for wildlife resilience in the face of climate change and its potential as a natural sanctuary for people, plants and wildlife.
“Large-scale conservation such as this project is critical to ensure species’ resiliency in the face of climate change,” said Fessett.
Tamarack Farms will connect several existing conservation sites, forming a continuous 5,600-acre protected area. Located along the Illinois-Wisconsin border, Hackmatack is an urban wildlife refuge, a special designation within the National Wildlife Refuge System. When open to the public, recreational opportunities will include hiking and walking, canoeing and kayaking, birding and wildlife viewing, biking, and wintertime recreation.